Dena Rosko, Patricia Whitcomb, Victoria Hertz, Garrett Cheal April 2010 Gonzaga University

1. Small Group Communication:
Feminist and Network
Perspectives
Team 3:
Dena Rosko, Patricia Whitcomb,
Victoria Hertz, Garrett Cheal

2. Overview
Feminist Networking
“... a feminist perspective on People join and build networks
groups… forces us to question via various network ties to share
some of our most basic and to utilize each other’s
assumptions and beliefs about existing networks, mutual
how groups form, function, and interests, resources, expertise,
practice” (Meyers, Berdahl, collective action, and similarity
Brashers, Considine, Kelly, (Denning, 2005; Katz, Lazer,
Moore, Peterson, & Spoor, Arrow, & Contractor, 2005).
2005, pp. 256-257).

3. Why Research the Feminist
Perspective?
Contributions of
women, minorities, and other
marginalized groups are downplayed
compared to those who hold power
(men).
The feminist perspective provides
fuel to the notion that gender and sex
play a role in group practice in almost
every way one can imagine.
Feminist perspective adapted from Meyers, Berdahl, Brashers, Considine, Kelly, Moore, Peterson, and Spoor (2005)

4. Gendered Behavioral Stereotypes
Women Men
Possess Risk Takers
communal Task-
behaviors oriented
Engage in Verbally
positive socio- aggressive
emotional Use
behavior information to
Build their advantage
cohesion Wants to get
Use humor to ahead
unify groups Use humor to
differentiate

5. Men and Women in Group
Leadership
VS
Men are selected more often as leaders when randomly assigned.
Men are more likely to emerge as leaders.
Women are more likely to assume maintenance leadership roles or
relational leadership roles.
Women leaders are scrutinized more than men.

6. Findings Among Mixed Groups
Mixed group research shows that
Job satisfaction is higher in mixed sex
groups than in single-sex groups,
Men and women are less likely to behave
according to gender stereotypes,
Men and women possess similar levels of
competitiveness,
Communication differences between men
and women occur relative to status and
power rather than gender, and
Sex differences decrease once leadership is
assigned.

7. Feminist Perspective Implications
Steps to reduce the gender gap:
Acknowledge that gender bias in small
groups and group research exists.
Be aware of one’s gendered stereotypes
and behaviors.
Give women leaders a longer period of
time in their role to reduce initial gendered
judgments with time.
Offer additional training for women to
equalize their status.
Focus on improving women’s status in all
social situations.

8. Defining the Network Perspective
People build networks to
Identify themselves as belonging to others
via the ties they build,
Develop on the individual and collective
levels,
Regard people as a resource, and to
Emphasize reciprocity and mutual gain.
Two types of networks exist:
Emergent (self-determined in-group ties)
Network perspective adapted from
Katz, Lazer, Arrow, and Contractor (2005) and
Externally prescribed (ties based on an
Denning (2005). external organization, e.g. University)

9. Types of Network Ties
Communication: who
communicates with whom
Formal: roles and report
structures
Affective: emotional liking
or relational trust
Material or Workflow:
who allocates resources to
whom
Proximity: spatial or
virtual closeness
Multiplex Example: A student may share a Cognitive: who knows
formal, affective, and proximity tie with a whom
professor or peer in class or in an extracurricular
activity.

10. Many Network Perspectives Exist
Rational interest paradigm: people
network to gain something from others.
Social exchange and dependency
theories: people network to exchange
resources.
Mutual interest: people network to share
mutual interests.
Collective action: people network to act
together for a collective good.
Transaction memory systems and
cognitive consistency: people network to
leverage their skills and expertise.
Homophily: people network to affirm
member similarity.

11. References
Denning, S. (2005). The leader's guide to storytelling: mastering the art and the
discipline of business and narrative. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Katz, N., Lazer, D., Arrow, H., & Contractor, N. (2005). The network perspective on
small groups: theory and research. In M.S. Poole, & A.B. Hollingshead (Eds.),
Theories of small groups: interdisciplinary perspectives. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage.
Meyers, R.A., Berdahl, J.L., Brashers, D., Considine, J.R., Kelly, J.R., Moore, C.,
Peterson, J.L., & Spoor, J.R. (2005). Understanding groups from a feminist
perspective. In M.S. Poole, & A.B. Hollingshead (Eds.), Theories of small
groups: interdisciplinary perspectives. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Rae, M. (2006, January 2). Hands balance the weight [Photo]. Retrieved April 19,
2010, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelarae/80983358/in/set-
1525839/
The Huffington Post. Official Obama portrait released (PHOTO). Retrieved April
16, 2010, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/14/official-obama-
portrait-r_n_157804.html